As Twitchy reported recently, the Washington Post's Paul Farhi complained that Today News Africa's White House correspondent Simon Ateba was more interested in making himself the story than he was in doing journalism. Interestingly, none of Ateba's colleagues stood up for him when the White House formally warned him that he'd lose his White House credentials if he continued to disrupt the daily press briefing with his "antics." We remember there was quite a firestorm back during the Trump administration when the White House pulled the press credentials of Playboy's Brian Karem and CNN's Jim Acosta. The first is perhaps best known for trying to start a fight with Sebastian Gorka, while the second wrestled the microphone out of a young female aide's hand.
The New York Times is now on the story, noting that Ateba has become a "hero" of right-wing media. He's actually a very good Twitter follow.
Simon Ateba of Today News Africa has become a hero in the right-wing media thanks to his confrontational behavior in the White House briefing room. He said his antics are the only way to get questions in during briefings dominated by big U.S. outlets. https://t.co/IUZcTL1lcX
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 26, 2023
https://t.co/eVh9Y7BXRA pic.twitter.com/JS4MHnJcJC
— Rev. Ducati 🏁🏴☠️ (@Reverend_Ducati) July 26, 2023
The NY Times and the Duality of Race https://t.co/y5YCNvy1sE pic.twitter.com/dE8ytdCsO7
— Na'linda (@MzBlckSheep) July 26, 2023
Amazing isn't it. https://t.co/r0dvwBmuk9 pic.twitter.com/anWtwfpgY4
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 26, 2023
https://t.co/r0dvwBmuk9 pic.twitter.com/BGcO7Bo4Lo
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 26, 2023
The NYT wants the black man to know his place. https://t.co/InctmB4ikg
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) July 26, 2023
✍️uh✍️oh✍️ https://t.co/j539EUblFV pic.twitter.com/ksv8DmADgF
— The List (@ListComesForAll) July 26, 2023
His questions are actually substantive. There were what four questions about Bidens dog yesterday? You couldn’t let Ateba ask one question about Chinese influence in Africa? https://t.co/DU757Empwf
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) July 26, 2023
“antics” https://t.co/rXALOUEjTi
— The Streeter (@thestreeter) July 26, 2023
Recommended
Why won't this "gadfly" stop shouting?
I'm surprised the NY Times didn't just call Ateba an "uppity negro". https://t.co/47RCqAKcX4
— Mark Delbridge 🇺🇲🏴☠️ (@DelbridgeMark1) July 26, 2023
Ateba does ask substantive questions and he's not just a stenographer for the regime. But suddenly making yourself the story, as Jim Acosta did so many times, is a bad thing now.
***